The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for performing a fluid immersion test for a rotor blade and, in particular, to an apparatus that prepares the rotor blade for handling during a fluid immersion test.
A rotor blade for a rotary wing aircraft is often tested during manufacture or maintenance procedures in order to ensure that the rotor blade is resistant to water leakage. In order to perform this test, the rotor blade is placed in a harness and the harness is lowered into a fluid tank, generally a tank of water. The harness generally covers a surface of the rotor blade while the rotor blade is immersed in the fluid tank, thereby preventing the covered surface from being adequately tested. Thus, the fluid immersion test is generally a two-step process, wherein the harness holds the rotor blade at two different locations during two separate immersions. Configuring the harness with respect to the rotor blades is an unwieldy process. Additionally, rotor blades can be relatively buoyant, requiring to be weighted in order to be completely submerged in the fluid in the water. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and/or an apparatus for preparing the rotor blade so that the rotor blade can be easily lowered into a fluid tank for immersion testing.